The present invention relates to a lightweight towing cross member for a vehicle and more particularly, to a towing cross member which is adapted for use in combination with a vehicle and which has a reduced weight relative to prior towing cross members, while maintaining the performance and load-bearing attributes of prior cross members.
Some vehicles such as trucks, commercial vehicles, sports utility vehicles, and pick-ups often include towing cross members which are coupled to the vehicle platform, towed. These cross members are generally made entirely of a relatively xe2x80x9cheavyxe2x80x9d metal material, such as a heavy-gauge steel and are designed to withstand loads imparted by trailers which exceed 18,000 pounds.
Due to the material used to construct these prior cross members (e.g., heavy-gauge steel), the cross members are relatively heavy, and have an associated xe2x80x9cweight penaltyxe2x80x9d which can adversely effect certain vehicle attributes. For example and without limitation, the relatively heavyweight of the cross members adversely effects the vehicle fuel economy and increases the consumption of natural resources. Furthermore, the relatively heavy weight of prior cross members and all of their sub-components causes the assembly procedures for the cross members and vehicles to be relatively difficult and laborious, thereby increasing production time and labor costs.
There is therefore a need for a towing cross member which is lighter than previous cross members, which has a high load-bearing capability, which is made primarily out of a relatively lightweight metal, such as aluminum, and which utilizes a relatively heavy gauge metal only in local areas of high stress.
A first non-limiting advantage of the present invention is that it provides a towing cross member which is substantially lighter relative to prior cross members.
A second non-limiting advantage of the present invention is that it utilizes a relatively lightweight material to form a majority of the towing cross member and utilizes relatively heavy gauge material only in certain localized areas of high stress.
A third non-limiting advantage of the present invention is that it simplifies and reduces the cost of prior assembly procedures, by providing relatively lightweight components which are easier to manipulate and assemble.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a towing cross member is provided for use with a vehicle. The towing cross member includes a first cross member; a first reinforcement plate which conforms with and is coupled to a center portion of the first cross member; a second cross member which is coupled to the first cross member; a second reinforcement plate which conforms with and is coupled to a center portion of the second cross member; a receiver tube which is fixedly disposed within the center of the towing cross member and which is adapted to receive a trailer hitch; and a pair of bracket assemblies which are coupled to the first and second cross members and which are adapted to allow the towing cross member to be mounted to a portion of the vehicle.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a towing cross member is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing first and second generally elongated cross members which are formed from a relatively lightweight material; determining areas on the first and second generally elongated cross members that would experience high stress during towing operation; providing first and second reinforcement plates which are respectively shaped to conform with the areas of high stress; coupling the first reinforcement plate to the first generally elongated cross member, effective to reinforce the areas of high stress on the first generally elongated cross member; coupling the second reinforcement plate to the second generally elongated cross member, effective to reinforce the areas of high stress on the second generally elongated cross member; and coupling the first generally elongated cross member to the second generally elongated cross member.
These and other objects, aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the attached drawings.